


No Matter How Long It Has Been

by AjanisApprentice



Series: Tales of Two Mercs [2]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-26
Updated: 2019-08-26
Packaged: 2020-09-26 21:29:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20396434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AjanisApprentice/pseuds/AjanisApprentice
Summary: It’s a curse he’s learned to live with. Time goes on around him. It stops for no one.





	No Matter How Long It Has Been

**Author's Note:**

> Small thing I forgot to put here when originally posting this: This work was beta'd by The_Apocryphal_One. As always much thanks to her for always being there to talk to and putting up with me. If you want to read some great Dimileth fics (the newest in her line of ship obsessions), or are just interested in seeing some work from a master in general, go find her stuff here: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Apocryphal_One/pseuds/The_Apocryphal_One
> 
> Tell her I sent you.

He’s slightly inconvenienced to learn that the old florist he used to go to closed. Byleth isn’t particularly picky, but this means finding a new one, one who hopefully won’t ask to many questions. Next to no one recognizes who he is anymore, and those that do likely believe themselves to be hallucinating. Still, he tries his best to stay inconspicuous.

After doing a quick search, Byleth finds the address of another florist close by and quickly makes his way there, parking right in front of the store (he may not have to be as worried about time as most, but Byleth would never deny that such time-saves are helpful).

As he walks in a small bell jingles and he is accosted by different scents. He ignores them and heads directly to the counter, where a slightly tanned man with purple tattoos on his hands and one on his cheek. A memory flashes unbidden, and a small smile graces Byleth’s lips. 

The man behind the counter looks up at him and shoots him a smile. “Good morning, what can I do for you?” he says, a slight accent in his tone but otherwise his speech sounds like he’s native to the Fodlan Republic.

“A bouquet of sunflowers if you would.” The man nods and walks out from behind the counter and heads to one of the walls further back in the store, Byleth tailing him.

“Sunflowers eh? Not the most usual choice of flower but I’m not one to judge. I mean, I’m a big fan of Venus Flytraps myself to be perfectly fair.”

“Everyone has a preference. These were the favorites of my late wife.” Predictably the florist flinches a little at that, a reaction Byleth is used to.

“Sorry to hear that. I suppose these are for a visit?”

“Indeed.”

With that the two are silent as the florist gets him a bouquet and proceeds to return to the counter to ring him up. As he does so, Byleth decides to indulge in his curiosity. “If you don’t mind my asking, are you from Brigid?”

The man looks up and smiles, the tension leaving his posture. “Yeah, came here about a decade ago. Was it the accent?”

Byleth shakes his head. “Hardly, you sound as if you’ve lived here for most of your life. It was actually the tattoos.”

At this the florist makes a low whistle. “Interesting. I wouldn’t have expected anyone from here to recognize those. Most just assume they’re random tattoos, especially considering how there are only a few families in Brigid that still bother with the prayer marks.”

Byleth nods. “I had a student who had them, but that was a while ago. I don’t see them anymore.”

The florist sighs at this. “Most of the people from Brigid have given up on the old customs. Not my family though. We’re still proud of our ways, though that does make sense considering we can trace our history all the way back to Petra the Liberator.”

It is a good thing the florist had not handed him the flowers yet, as Byleth isn’t entirely sure he wouldn’t have dropped them. As it is his legs turn to jelly and he has to actively steel his face into a mildly curious expression. “Really?”

“Indeed. We are proud of how she stood up to the tyranny of the old Adrestrian Empire and helped the Alliance bring it down, as well as how she helped make Brigid more respected and recognized by the new Kingdom’s king.” As the man speaks his smile grows fond and his tone carries pride. “Of course, that’s all ancient history, but I still hold pride in it.” At this the man holds out his hand and Byleth hands him a credit card. With a simple swipe the card is returned, along with the flowers. 

“You should,” Byleth finds himself saying as he accepts the items. “She was a good ruler.” The florist looks at him oddly and for a moment Byleth is afraid he may have said too much. However the odd look quickly turns into a smile.

“Indeed. You a professor of history or something? You mentioned you had a student from Brigid and you seem to know quite a bit about it, more so than the typical citizen here.”

“Something like that,” Byleth responds as he leaves the florist and heads back to his car.

* * *

After the long drive out of the city, Byleth finally arrives home. Quickly placing the groceries where they need to go, Byleth walks out to his backyard. 

The property he lives on has had far too many renovations, to the point where he has lost track. Still, the small pathway that leads to his destination shows signs of wear and tear, and Byleth wonders if it is time for yet another landscaping project. Pushing aside those idle thoughts, the man makes his way to a simple headstone. The marble it’s made from is clearly new, though the words on it are from an old dialect no one speaks anymore. Well, almost no one. 

Surrounded the monument are different pieces of marble, each one older than the last, and many different flowers, though sunflowers are the most common. Byleth leans down and places the bouquet in front of the monument, before sitting down in a cross-legged position in front of it.

“One whole millennium,” he begins, a small smile on his face as he stares at the monument. “I wonder what you’re thinking right now, knowing that a thousand years have passed and I still never found anyone else. Probably something snarky, but we both know I loved your wit.

“It’s strange, looking back on the past thousand years and seeing just how much things have changed. If I had told you we’d have horseless carriages called cars, and small pocket-sized devices we could use to not only communicate with each other, but even see each other from one side of the world to the next, you would have called me crazy.

“Still wonder what you’d think of guns. You always were a fan of long ranged weapons, but it doesn’t take the same type of strength or skill to use one as it does a bow.”

At this the smile falls from Byleth’s face. “I miss you so much, as I’ve said so many times. Miss your wit, miss your comebacks. I miss seeing how efficiently you fought, an elegance to it that very few could replicate.

“I miss the quiet conversations, and the comfortable silences. I miss holding you and being held. I miss your smile. 

“I miss you so much Shamir.”

The tears are falling once again and Byleth takes a moment to calm a bit. After letting the lump in his throat fade he continues “It’s odd in a way. This world is still the same but so different. Crests are virtually non-existent, social classes don’t really exist in any meaningful way. Magic is still used but hardly at all in battle, almost entirely dedicated to research and development. There are times I feel I don’t belong.

“I’m not the only one who feels this way of course. Seteth has been having plenty of trouble adjusting, though Flayn still seems to be doing fine. Heard she’s even been learning about computers.

“On that subject, Seteth did invite me for dinner tonight and I think it’s time I get going.” A smirk graces itself to Byleth’s face and the man lets out a small laugh. “Even after so long it seems our conversations always are somewhat short. Though no less meaningful.”

With that Byleth gets up and walks to the headstone and places a single kiss on the top.

“I hope you’ll keep watching over me Shamir, wherever you are.”

**Author's Note:**

> This would have taken place after a golden deer playthrough. I've got a few random ideas about what Byleth does now, as well as some very general ideas of the next thousand+ years after the games events, but that could be explored if I ever come back to this future idea. Likely won't but you never know.


End file.
